Jessica Pegula cruises to US Open quarterfinals with eyes on first Grand Slam semis

Jessica Pegula has cruised through the U.S. Open, steamrolled into her seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal. Now, she’ll look to finally reach a semifinal.

The sixth-seeded American — born in Buffalo to eventual Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula — routed Diana Shnaider, 6-4, 6-2, in the fourth round Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

She hasn’t dropped a set so far in four matches at this year’s U.S. Open, signaling she just might be ready to break through.

Pegula is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals. Will Wednesday be her lucky No. 7?

“I’ll just try to draw from those experiences and how I felt going into the next match. But it’s just so tough,” Pegula said. “I’ll just try to draw on that experience and how maybe I’ve handled it in the past and what I’m looking to try and do mentally different this time. It’s really not that much different.

4

“It helps. I’ve had a couple of deep runs in some big tournaments obviously leading up to here. Maybe the only difference is I had a tough start to the year, so I’m a little bit more appreciative of being able to turn it around the last month like I have, whereas maybe previous years it kind of came like quarterfinal, quarterfinal. I was making all of those good results one after another.”

Pegula, 30, had much to be appreciative of, even long before recovering from neck and back injuries to win in Toronto and make the final in Cincinnati last month.

Father Terry made billions in oil and gas, selling most of his hydrofracking business in 2010 for $4.7 billion and buying the Bills and Sabres.

That comes with preconceptions about Pegula’s privilege.

But as a comparative everywoman who took the 7 train to Flushing and wore a black Yankees cap, she is equal parts maddened and motivated by assumptions about her silver-spoon life.

“I did some media thing the other day too. They were like ‘What’s the most annoying thing?’ It’s that people think I have a butler, that I get chauffeured around, I have a private limo, that I fly private everywhere,” Pegula said. “I’m definitely not like that. People can think what they want. It’s kind of funny.

“A butler? Like, I read these comments, like, ‘She probably has this and that and that.’ I’m, like, no, not at all. Maybe I should. I don’t know at this point. Is that what you want me to do, do all these crazy things? Yeah, it’s a little annoying. But honestly, it’s kind of funny because I don’t really even know anyone that lives like that. It’s outrageous.”

4

Pegula sealed the win with an 84-mph ace — her sixth ace of the afternoon — to thrash her 20-year-old Russian foe.

Now, Pegula draws either No. 1 Iga Swiatek or big-hitting No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova. She lost to Swiatek in the U.S. Open quarterfinals two years ago.

A win Wednesday would make Pegula the oldest American woman to earn a Grand Slam singles semifinal debut.

A loss would tie a women’s record for most Major quarterfinals without a semi in the pro era, per ESPN.

4

4

“I just need to win the match to get to the semis, and then that’ll solve everything, right?” said Pegula, who couldn’t face fellow American heiress Emma Navarro — born in New York to an eventual banking billionaire — until the finals.

“I love Emma so much. She’s hilarious,” Pegula laughed. “Emma’s been playing some really good tennis. She’s really, really good. She’s a great athlete, she’s mentally stable and she’s only going to get better. She’s going to be a threat for the next ten years or however long she plays to definitely be a Slam contender.

“Mentally she’s shown that she’s super tough and she doesn’t let a lot of things bother her. … She’s one of the hottest players on tour right now, so I don’t think the moment is really phasing her too much. I’ve gotten to know her really well this year, and she’s a riot. Don’t let her fool you.”